He reported to the OAS Permanent Council, in Washington.
Washington, D.C., April 7 (IICA). Today, the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Victor M. Villalobos , asked of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) a commitment to the objectives of agricultural and rural development.
He told the members of the Council that “responsibility for the development of agriculture does not rest solely with the ministries of agriculture.”
The Director General was addressing the Council to present the 2009 IICA Annual Report, and took the opportunity to present the goals of the new administration.
Villalobos, from Mexico, was elected Director General by the ministers of agriculture of the hemisphere in October of last year, and assumed the post in January of this year.
In calling for this commitment to agriculture, Villalobos underscored the valuable role played by the sector in overcoming some of the most pressing problems of this century: poverty, hunger, inequality or climate change.
“However, we must produce more, and more effectively, in the countryside and we must incorporate more and more segments of the population in the value chains,” he said.
“How to do this is the question we can answer together, applying our collective knowledge. The goal of international technical cooperation is to share knowledge,” he added.
The Director General expressed the belief that international technical cooperation is a public good and, as such, should be offered to all with no strings attached and delivered in a timely and effective manner, and facilitate the adoption of common bilateral, regional or hemispheric strategies.
He then referred to the need for a new paradigm that will make agriculture more efficient and competitive, and at the same time make rational use of natural resources and ensure that small-scale agriculture also receives its benefits.
The greatest challenge, he stated, is to increase investment in agriculture and rural life and make them more efficient, “while increasing production and reducing poverty.”
He recommended shifting from the concept of “agricultural policies” to “policies for agriculture,” adopting a broader vision that goes beyond what is traditionally considered “sectoral.”
He then told the members of the Council that policies for agriculture that is competitive, inclusive and sustainable cannot be considered the sole responsibility of the ministries of agriculture, and must take into account other sectors and actors.
“We must have national policies for agriculture and rural development. And in this effort, the work of important actors such as you is fundamental,” he stated.
According to Villalobos, “It is necessary to develop the huge agricultural market our continent can become; taking advantage of hemispheric interaction; eliminating domestic inequalities and regional asymmetries; providing opportunities for everyone; bringing more investment to the sector; and increasing institutional capabilities.”
To accomplish this, he said, “Our countries and the Institute must:
- Attach great importance to agriculture in their development policies, in order to increase productivity;
- Maintain their commitment to food security;
- Strengthen inclusive rural development policies;
- Pledge to defend sustainable models of development; and
- Include the topic of agriculture on their foreign policy agendas, creating a network for cooperation that will be highly useful in achieving the development goals that you and we share.”
During his remarks, the Director General congratulated José Miguel Insulza and Albert Ramdin on their reelection as Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, respectively.
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